360PR Blog

Bloggers felt the embrace of brands who planned out involving and playful interactions for them at BlogHer10. There was every manner of entertainment at the show, from happy mascots and hi-energy dance floors, to coloring stations and full-on hair salons!

At this year’s event in particular, I was struck by how many bloggers were turned into brand “spokespeople” right in front of my very eyes through highly creative and video-worthy stunts and campaigns.

In a nutshell, putting bloggers on camera talking passionately about a particular topic led to a whole lot of third-party endorsements for brands. On the flip side, bloggers didn’t seem to mind their starring role in the brand videos; in fact they seemed to welcome the opportunity to be on camera, bringing to mind the possibility of a future BlogHer Reality TV series?

Please read my short letters to the brands to learn why they were the video stand-outs, extending their brand through video in the most distinctive ways.

Dear Walmart,

You are very bright.

I applaud your focus on selling products that sustain people and the environment, and I admire that you knew it would be the perfect theme for BlogHer. I like how you took a page from the Grammy’s playbook by inviting bloggers who are passionate about the quality of life on our planet to tweet their “bright” ideas for creating a sustainable future, and then feeding their tweets in real time on the giant video screen at your booth for everyone to see.

You were also genius to offer a professional video booth for bloggers to record their ideas and share them on your YouTube page and sustainability site. Having dozens of female bloggers raving about sustainability on your website is an endorsement that means way more than any paid advertising. But you already knew that. It also didn’t hurt that you had super knowledgeable folks staffing your exhibit – they were all brilliant.

Sincerely,

Cindy

Hello Jimmy Dean,

You brought a lot of sunshine to BlogHer.

Apart from the fact that I love sausage breakfast sandwiches, who wouldn’t love meeting the “hot” celebrity from your famous Jimmy Dean commercials? As if that weren’t enough, having the chance to star in a video with the “Sun” was a marketing move that really made me melt.

In the other part of your booth galaxy, I enjoyed talking to the friendly Hillshire Farms Chef who happily took the time to make me a custom, savory sandwich. She also gave me the 411 on the “Fresh Taste Challenge Sandwich Showdown” hosted by Padma Lakshmi that had 16 bloggers competing Top Chef-style to become the champion. The really great twist in my opinion was inviting three elementary school kids to judge the goods and decide the winners (they loved the sandwich ka-bob!). Talk about great content for the Hillshire Farms YouTube site, not to mention that the 16 bloggers have most likely already streamed the video on their own blogs.

All the best,

Cindy

Dearest Yahoo! Shine,

You inspire me.

It’s really good news that you are dedicated to offering online advice and information to women, and you were very clever to extend your “You. Reinvented” brand campaign to BlogHer10. After all, what’s more inspiring than stories of women who are reinventing their lives?

I was spell-bound by your fashion news-room set-up where you invited bloggers to share their “reinvention” stories on camera. I was so enamored with the idea, that I decided that I must reinvent myself in time to participate in your video show at BlogHer11.

Good for you for not only curating the blogger videos on Yahoo!, you also smartly gave embeddable videos to each of the participating bloggers so they could easily share on their blogs too. The idea that one woman’s voice on one lone blog may not change the world–but together, they wield quite a bit of power with other women is very classy.

As ever,

Cindy

P.S. I would be remiss to not offer a shout-out to the Tempur-Pedic folks for being cheeky and dressing up in pajamas, and also for jumping on the video content bandwagon with their “Ask Me” professional photography booth.

That’s a wrap.

Filed under: 360 Public Relations, Blogger Relations, Consumer Marketing, Digital PR, Events and Conferences, Green Marketing, Internet, Marketing to Moms, Social Marketing, Social Media, YouTube by CindyGordon - 2 Comments →

Parents don’t let kids social network alone.

That’s the thinking behind Togetherville, a juvi-social network where the 10 and under set can hang out with their parents online and give social networking a whirl in a safe online neighborhood.

It’s free to join and parents create their child’s account through their own Facebook log-in. Parents can “play” with their kids online – hence the together in Togetherville – and can approve or reject friends that their children ask to bring into their neighborhood. Creator Mandeep Singh Dhillon told CNET.com that it’s all about creating accountability. He said, “Togetherville allows parents to create neighborhoods of the real people in their child’s life to be around their kid as they grow up online.”

Similar to Disney Digital Books, the site looks different for parents and children. And in this kiddie-size version of Facebook, your kids can comment on a status update using canned responses called “quips.” The site does let kids write their own free-form messages, but they must be approved by the parent before being sent. From the kids site, the games, videos and other activities are all pre-screened and no ads are allowed. From the parents site, you can send your kids notes and gifts, look at their activities and see what they’re creating. Kids also get passports that they can fill up with badges by playing games and watching videos on the site.

Let’s face it, kids under 13 are not allowed on Facebook, but they are joining anyway. And while there are some really nice things about Facebook, the perils aren’t worth the trouble that can happen if your young child isn’t supervised.

The question is whether parents will take the Togetherville step before letting their kids loose online. And, we’ll find out soon enough whether the Togetherville model even proves to be “safe enough.” Let’s also hope that Togetherville doesn’t turn into Addictedville and shut out important real-life experiences for young kids.

For now, it seems to me like a great solution for parents whose kids who are chomping at the bit to get online. It may just provide a valuable head start in teaching kids early on netiquette and the importance of safety and privacy on a social networking site. There is no denying, these sites are here to stay and will only evolve and grow.

So please share, would you use Togetherville with your child?

Filed under: 360 Public Relations, Consumer Marketing, Digital Books, Digital PR, FaceBook, Marketing to Moms, Media and Press, PR Industry, Parenting, Social Media, Social Networking, Togetherville, Video Games, Virtual Worlds by CindyGordon - 3 Comments →

We are a calendar-driven culture and that gives marketers something to celebrate all year long – if they understand the audience opportunity and strike the right chord. The essence of Mother’s Day, for example, is sharing. Moms share it with their kids.  And most of the moms I know reached straight for their iPhone when they woke up this morning, texting, chatting and sharing with other moms on Facebook before having that first cup of coffee and interacting with their families.

I received countless promotional emails this week with the call to action to “Celebrate Mother’s Day” by taking advantage of a special discount. Brands who emailed me are half-way there. I’m a mom and they found me. But I didn’t take advantage of their offers because Mother’s Day is not about me shopping for me. The messages would’ve resonated more if they demonstrated an understanding of mom’s need to take time for herself. On Mother’s Day, shoppers (the dads, kids and others around mom) need deals. Moms need support. I realize that’s not a novel insight, but I think it’s one worth repeating.

Holidays present both a short-term and a long-term opportunity to engage audiences. In the short-term, certainly they present exposure opportunities since the media world is calendar-driven too, from morning shows to prime-time. I loved 30 Rock’s “The Moms” episode and the show web site offered 30 Rock-themed Mother’s Day e-cards…fun! And we were thrilled to see the Safety 1st Prism Color Video Monitor (from 360 client Dorel Juvenile Group) featured on Ellen’s annual Mother’s Day show.

Holidays can also be a catalyst for longer-term campaigns, leveraged to reinforce a core brand message – a Fourth of July-timed campaign spotlighting the fact that the iconic glass Ball jars (a 360 client), first introduced more than 125 years ago, continue to be “Made in the USA.”

From a marketer’s perspective, I love the idea of leveraging the calendar. But the message needs to be thoughtful and authentic, with special days as one part of a broader campaign that extends beyond the day.  Next up? “Grads and dads” and wedding and prom season!

Filed under: Consumer Marketing, Marketing to Moms by LauraTomasetti - 2 Comments →

If you think about it, many of the foods you eat and items you purchase are influenced by what your mom used in the home when you were a child (even though you might not want to admit it)! Nowadays, moms are taking that influence online-in the form of blogs- and influencing more than just their kids about what they should be eating and buying.

McDonald’s, which recently named Rick Wion as its first Social Media Chief, has expressed three main goals for McDonald’s – to use “social media to build the business, manage customer problems, and beef up (pun intended I presume) outreach to target groups such as mommy bloggers.”

This topic – building the connection between brands and mom bloggers was the focus of a Blog with Integrity & Council of PR Firms webinar that our 360 team participated in last week titled “Bridging Brands & Bloggers.” Panelists Susan Getgood, Beth Blecherman, Michelle Madhok, and Tim Hurst shared the three “R”s of blogger relations: research, respect & relationships.

Research: Any brand or PR firm that wants to get in-front of the momosphere needs to find the right moms first – picking at random won’t cut it with the mamas.

Respect: Well, who wouldn’t respect a mom to begin with? But as a rule, treat bloggers with as much respect as journalists.

Relationships: Possibly the biggest theme of the session – building relationships with bloggers is key. Without any sort of relationship, the blogger has no reason to listen to your pitch or even your brand.

For brands large and small who would like to connect with not just moms, but bloggers in general, you might just want to keep these nuggets of wisdom to mind.

Filed under: 360 Public Relations, Blogger Relations, Marketing to Moms, Pitch tips, Social Media by Admin - 3 Comments →

Part two of two in our year-end social media recap touches on the more serious side of our evolving online landscape. We hope you enjoy! Let’s get started…

5.  Newspapers Move to Online-Only, Embrace Social Media Back in September, 360PR’s own John LeRoy wrote about the end of the Ann Arbor News’ print publication, and throughout 2009, many newspapers followed suit, moving to publishing their content strictly online and incorporating social media functionality.  Along with the recession came widespread newsroom cuts, and while many papers folded altogether, others can only be found now by visiting the web. Whether you embrace the change or miss the sound of a daily paper landing on your doorstep, the move to online-only is here.

4.  Rise of Mobile Apps If you’re an iPhone lover or a Blackberry devotee, you can’t deny the ease and convenience the downloadable applications that are essential to these smart phones bring.  With the click of a key or the touch of an icon, you can find the nearest gas station, read restaurant recommendations, check out times for movie showings, and much, MUCH more.  Running late for the airport?  There’s an app. that allows you to check the status of your flight. 

3.  Live Stream Presidential Inauguration Not only did 2009 see a new, African-American president in the White House, America saw his inauguration unfold in real-time online.  Courtesy of CNN, those unable to obtain a ticket to the inauguration were able to watch every second from the comfort of their own home.  January 20, 2009 was an extremely historic day in more ways than one.

2.  Moms Online  Nielsen recognized the power of moms’ online presence and released “The Power Mom 50,” 50 of the most influential moms on the ‘net (though Nielsen’s list left off some biggies), and the FTC implemented new rules guiding interactions between brands and bloggers (largely driven by the increase of sponsored content on mom blogs).  Meanwhile, Oprah recognized the importance of moms online when she Skype’d in mom bloggers from across the country in an April episode ‘The Secret Lives of Moms.’ 

1.  Brands and Social Media If you’re a Facebook or Twitter user, you’re likely connected with a few brands online. Jet Blue (@JetBlue,) Comcast (@comcastcares) and Whole Foods (@wholefoods) were among the most followed on Twitter this year.  Top brands on Facebook included Starbucks, Coca-Cola and Disney. But with more brands competing for valuable online space, it will be tricky breaking through the clutter. Starting with a solid fan base will help, but providing the online community with “insider” knowledge and unique insights is what will really make a brand stand out in 2010.

Happy New Year!

Filed under: Consumer Marketing, Digital PR, Internet, Marketing to Moms, Media and Press, Social Media by SkyeMcIntyre - No Comments →

Blogland will be buzzing tomorrow as the new FTC Guides take effect, clarifying rules for disclosure of material relationships between bloggers and brands.  We talked to blogger members of our MomSquad to get their reaction to the guidelines – what the rules mean for their blogs and what advice bloggers have for brands.

“I couldn’t be happier about the new guidelines,” says Jill Notkin of Work at Home Mom.  “Over the last year, everybody with a computer has jumped on the ‘blogwagon’ and the saturation is making it difficult for serious bloggers to maintain a reputable face.  Maybe this will bring more respect back to blogging.”

“I am now including a disclosure statement at the end of each post – I either add my own verbiage or use verbiage the brand supplies,” explains Mom’s Favorite Stuff’s Jodi Grundig. “Brands should be up front with how they’d like bloggers to handle disclosure on products they supply.  If the brand and blogger isn’t in agreement with how disclosure should be handled, it’s probably not a good fit.  I do think some companies have been going a bit overboard with disclosure, however.  I’ve been asked to write, ‘this recipe was supplied to me for free from xx.’  I really don’t want to see blogs become all disclosure/no valuable content.”

“In order to give an honest review, you must try products and put them to the test.  It’s no secret companies offer products for this purpose and your audience will not think less of your opinions when this is disclosed,” comments Julie Gerber of The Gerber Babies Blog (not that ‘Gerber’).
“I think brands should look at the sites first and find the blogs that are a good fit for them,” advises Anisa Raoff of Kidoinfo. “Do they want to send their product out to whoever will review it or does it matter who the blogger is?  Do they want to align with certain blogs because of the content on their site?”  Great questions.

“Brands need to cover their own ‘behinds’ – there are plenty of review bloggers who take [the FTC Guides] seriously and work professionally and there are others who do not,” adds Posh Parent Clarissa Nassar, also a Glambassador for Glamour magazine.

“I just wish the rest of the media world was held to similar accountability, especially celebrities,” says Mommy Niri Nirasha Jaganath.

And on that note, the FTC guides do go beyond bloggers, extending the same rules of transparency and disclosure to third-party experts utilized as spokespersons and celebrity endorsements – and that’s a good thing.  We’ll have much more on this topic in the December issue of the 360PR MomSquad Trendletter. Meantime, some good resources are Blog with Integrity and the Council of PR Firms’ Code of Ethics. Love to hear your comments!

Filed under: Blogger Relations, Digital PR, Marketing to Moms, Social Media by LauraTomasetti - 4 Comments →

I had the pleasure of moderating an informative panel of leading brands and bloggers in the parenting space at last month’s Marketing 2 Moms conference.  We’ve edited the two-hour session down to a 13-minute podcast, packed with tips and insights – worth a listen as you’re building your 2010 campaigns and considering how to initiate or extend your work with bloggers.

eMarketer reports that there are 34 million moms online and that may very well be a conservative estimate – we’ve seen numbers as high as 40+ million moms online.  And as parenting books such as Child, Wondertime and Cookie have ceased publication, hundreds more mom bloggers have begun posting.  There’s no denying it, blogs are a legitimate part of the mom media mix today – especially if you want to reach the connected, influencer-moms who have the power to word-of-mouth your brand.  But with more bloggers and brands jumping in, the environment is cluttered, and communications needs to be on point to break through and resonate with bloggers and their readers.

Moreover, with the FTC Guides taking effect 12/1, brands need to be diligent with their monitoring – making sure what is played back is accurate and any material relationships are clearly disclosed. We all have lots at stake – brands, bloggers and, most of all, readers.  Here’s what the experts at M2Moms had to say:

“Blogger relations should be about “quality over quantity…what [bloggers] say is more important than the numbers.” – Lesley Hettinger, General Motors Corp

“The intimate conversations are so much more valuable…it’s not about building an army, but an influential group of advisors and advocates…you really have to look at the long tail.” – Jeannine Harvey, PBS

“To me, it’s always about the added value…brands need to be able to provide added value” when working with bloggers and their audiences. – Kristin Brandt, Manic Mommies

“Blogs are such a personal experience for the reader…it’s really important that everything on that page be reflective of who we are.” – Liz Gumbinner, Cool Mom Picks & Blog with Integrity

“We want to get to know moms on a 1:1 basis.  We’re always reading blogs and looking at what bloggers are talking about on Twitter.”  – Marcia Hansen, Allstate Insurance Company

“I feel better about a brand if they have a presence on Twitter.  But the most important thing is to have someone monitoring…you have to have someone interacting with your customers.” – Beth Blecherman, Silicon Valley Moms Group

For more, listen to the M2Moms Brands & Blogs podcast below. A BIG thanks to Kristin Brandt for recording the session and to Susan Getgood for her masterful editing!

Filed under: Blogger Relations, Consumer Marketing, Digital PR, Events and Conferences, Marketing to Moms, Parenting, Pitch tips by LauraTomasetti - No Comments →

The key take-away for me at this week’s Marketing to Moms conference was about story-telling. Not story-telling by advertisers or PR people - not the campaigns and messages that are pushed out. I’m talking about the stories created by the millions of consumers on YouTube, Facebook and other social sites.

With the increasing amount of user-generated content online, one of the best things brands can do is sit back and take it all in. Then, after looking and listening, figure out how to choreograph the content that’s already out there into a meaningful brand dance – the kind of raucous dance you see at Greek and Jewish weddings.

Coca-Cola is doing it. One of the best, most compelling presentations at M2Moms was by Wendy Clark, SVP of Integrated Marketing at Coca-Cola, who held a can of Diet Coke in her hand from the start to the end of her presentation (maybe not surprising, but as Clark talked about authenticity and brand fans, that Coke can seemed to add even more street cred).

Clark talked about seeking opportunities for collaboration and co-creation, tapping into the people who are telling your story. And that doesn’t mean people have to be literally talking about your brand. More often than not, it’s going to be a story that gets at the essence of what your brand has to offer (healthy living or more family time, for example).

“We need to integrate consumer ideas into the way we’re going to the marketplace, and use digital as an enabler,” said Clark.  She wasn’t talking about the usual consumer research or the traditionally linear process in developing campaigns.  As she talked, she pulled up random search results for “Coke” on Google.

What are people finding when they search for your brand (or a related topic)? How can you contribute to the conversation?  How can you “curate” what’s already there?  “The shift has happened – advertising doesn’t seem to capture what we do any more. We spend a lot of time talking about community marketing,” Clark said.  Marketers need to “be open to a model that bypasses traditional stages.”

Clark shared that her PR team is playing an active role in beating the social media drum at Coca-Cola.  “Our PR team has been our best friend,” she said. At the core, I believe good PR people are about two things: story-telling + relationship-building. We’ve got “the right stuff” for this new social media world. Now, we just need to listen a little more to the stories already being told in order to help write the next chapter for the brands we work with and the communities they want to be part of.

While at M2Moms, I “curated” a panel of brands and bloggers who are working together. Kristin Brandt of Manic Mommies, who was on the panel, was kind enough to record the session and we’ll be posting the audio here next week.  Meantime, you can scan some of the insights and soundbites from this week’s Marketing to Moms conference on Twitter, #m2moms.

Filed under: Consumer Marketing, Digital PR, Events and Conferences, Food & Beverage PR, Internet, Marketing to Moms, Social Media by LauraTomasetti - 5 Comments →

For the past 48 years, The Hatch Awards, hosted by the Ad Club, have been New England’s premier creative awards show.  Over 1200 entries are reviewed by a dozen judges – high-ranking creative executives from outside the New England area.  Awards are presented across 32 categories including every kind of media possible.

As part of the Ad Club’s PR Committee, 360PR attended the show on Tuesday night…and was blown away (props to Boston University’s drum corps)!

Hatch Awards 2009

I serve on the Ad Club PR Committee and one of the things we try to do is to cast a light on the young, diverse creative ad biz in Boston – the industry has moved well beyond the bygone “Mad Men” era.  This year, we invited some special guests to attend — some leading bloggers from the Boston area.  As we all know, mom bloggers are the movers and shakers of the world — they can topple brands or create success stories in the blink of an eye.  In fact, U.S. moms say 80% of ads miss the mark (via M2Moms).  But experts say that we can improve those results by using social media to create online communities and brand advocates. 

We also set up a hash tag for bloggers and members of the Hatch audience to follow.  Over the course of the evening, there were over 70 Twitter status updates using #AdClub.  The following local bloggers in attendance driving the conversation were:

• Christy Matte, More than Mommy (http://morethanmommy.com/) 
• Nirasha Jaganath, Mommy Niri (http://www.mommyniri.com/) 
• Susan Getgood, Marketing Roadmaps (http://getgood.com/roadmaps/) 
• Jennifer Leal, Savor the Thyme (http://savorthethyme.blogspot.com/) 

Some of the gold bowl recipients were Arnold’s picturesque FootJoy print ads (something any golf fanatic would love) in the Consumer Magazine Spread category, Mullen’s hilarious Boston Bruins national TV spots (my personal favs), and Hill Holliday’s sobering Liberty Mutual TV spots.

Filed under: 360 Public Relations, Blogger Relations, Boston, Consumer Marketing, Events and Conferences, Marketing to Moms, Social Media by Admin - No Comments →

The Summer issue of our MomSquad Trendletter is out and I keep meaning to post the link here in case you’re not a Trendletter subscriber.  It’s a particularly good issue if I may say so, with a great line up of content and contributors, including:

• What’s happening with Dad Blogs, a piece contributed by Christy Matte of About.com’s Family Computing blog and her own blog, More Than Mommy;
• Boston Mamas’ Christine Koh’s report from BlogHer with tips for brands interacting with bloggers;
• Going beyond blogs to forums such as the Mom Bloggers Club to reach powerful networks of influencers, by Clarissa Nassar, a.k.a. The Posh Parent; and
• A look at what’s on the mind of PTA moms as back-to-school time approaches, written by PTA Mom Anisa Raoof, editor at Rhode Island-based Kidoinfo.

We’d love your feedback if you get a chance to link over and read the current issue!

Filed under: Blogger Relations, Consumer Marketing, Digital PR, Marketing to Moms, Parenting by LauraTomasetti - 1 Comment →

Guess what the first and last topic was on the first day of Blogher? Right. That FTC stuff. Disclosure was the main message from the Blogher founders.  Blogher requires its network of 2,500 bloggers to aggregate product reviews to a separate review blog and note that reviews are sponsored.

But is disclosure enough?  Do we need or, let me rephrase, want “compensated reviews”?  If a product or service is truly break-through and relevant to the audience, and the outreach is well timed and appropriately targeted (if I can put in just a small plug for PR), reviews get written and for the right reasons.

There was a lot of discussion throughout Blogher Business about how bloggers “add value for marketers.”  But most blogs weren’t started as a marketing platform, and even as they’ve collectively evolved to be a viable channel for advertisers online, the audience needs to come first.  If it doesn’t, we all lose.

A group of bloggers we have a heck of a lot of respect for launched an initiative this week called Blog with Integrity, inviting bloggers to take a pledge of a code of conduct – totally voluntary and completely about raising the bar back up in the blogosphere for mom bloggers and all bloggers.

So what about us PR peeps?  Almost a decade ago, The Council of PR Firms set forth a code of ethics by which members firms (including 360PR) agree to conduct business – to help ensure PR with Integrity.  ”In communicating with the public and media, member firms will maintain total truthfulness and accuracy… the sources of communications and sponsors of activities will not be concealed,” reads an excerpt.

Social media, and PR’s prime-time role in social media, have raised the stakes.  We need to strive to be authentic, accurate and transparent in every interaction with bloggers, journalists and analysts every day.  What would our moms say?  Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should.

What are your thoughts?

Filed under: Blogger Relations, Digital PR, Events and Conferences, Industry Organizations, Internet, Marketing to Moms, PR Industry, Social Media by LauraTomasetti - 6 Comments →

Call it a stunt.  Call it desperation.  MomDot issued a challenge to its community of bloggers last week calling for a PR Blackout for one week in August.  (Just so happens that’s the week everyone’s on vacation anyway, haha.)  The ironic thing is the announcement was the most successful PR move ever for MomDot, accidental or not.  The Wall Street Journal was the latest to cover the news, in today’s edition.

On the one hand, I don’t blame MomDot.  Bloggers, and mom bloggers in particular, are over-saturated with PR pitches.  We get calls daily (truly daily) from brands wanting to dive in.

I often think of our mom blogger friends on the inevitable receiving end.  Step into their world for a minute.  Unlike journalists, most mom bloggers don’t work full-time. They’re balancing blogging with their other passion – family.  And some of the pitches, no scratch that, MOST of the pitches they get are just awful.  Read Bostonmamas Christine Koh’s recent “Bad Blogger Outreach” series.  Delete, delete, delete.

The good news is blogs are now widely recognized by brands as a legitimate channel in the mom media mix.  And there are brands and PR firms (wink, wink) that get it.

It’s important to look at blogs individually and not as one big mom blog bucket.  So much of good blogger relations is about content mapping. What’s the blogger’s focus?  What value does the brand bring to the discussion?  How can you be a true resource to a blogger and not a source of exasperation?

For more, look for 360 at Blogher Business this week, and if you’re not headed to Chicago, keep an eye here and on our tweets (@Laura360, @C_Pierce, @BWelch).

Filed under: Blogger Relations, Digital PR, Events and Conferences, Internet, Marketing to Moms, Pitch tips by LauraTomasetti - 12 Comments →

We just posted a new issue of our MomSquad Trendletter. If you’re still tinkering with your summer marketing plan, there are some great insights gleaned from 360′s MomSquad members. From New England to Georgia, Chicago and out to the West Coast, moms say they’re staying close to home this summer, an opportunity for brands with an angle on backyard fun and budget-friendly activities for the whole family.

“Even though we don’t have any major plans, I’m excited for the summer,” comments Laura Often of North Grafton, Mass. “The summer gives us more options – ice cream runs, the pool, picnics, the beach and just being able to play outside makes the days better.”

Among summer vacation travel trends identified by the 360PR MomSquad:

• Families are planning shorter, drive-to trips.
• Day trips to local attractions – from beaches, parks and museums – top the list of destinations.
• If staying overnight, most will be bunking with family and friends taking advantage of built-in babysitters.
• Those planning a staycation say they’re saving their money now to be able to eat some meals out this summer.
• Top purchases will include GPS systems, grills (and the usual accompaniments) and outdoor toys.

And before they go anywhere, moms will head online.”We make sure to look things up online before going to find any coupons for activities or places to eat,” says Missouri mom Courtney Foster. “You can go on a great vacation and spend about the same you would at home if you plan ahead and look for deals.”

Deal Seeking Mom is one of my personal favorites. For deals on summer groceries, be sure to check out the web site of your local supermarket before hopping in the car. 360 client Stop & Shop posts their weekly circular and other deals online, and our Peapod (grocery delivery) client lets you sort your virtual cart and list for items on sale that you may want to stock up on. (Don’t forget to pick up some Ball jars to store everything!)

“And just because school is out doesn’t mean the learning stops. I try to have some educational aspect of our vacations – I’m looking for ways that my children can have fun and learn something,” says Anita Doberman, a military mom in Georgia.

For more MomSquad summer insights, checkout the Trendletter.

Filed under: Consumer Marketing, Marketing to Moms, Parenting, Pitch tips by LauraTomasetti - 1 Comment →

Bloggers and marketers have new common ground: the proposed FTC regulations that, if enacted, will hold bloggers liable for product reviews.  That could have some bloggers skittish about accepting your next product sample for review.

Blogger X says the product cleans your house, picks up your kids and puts dinner on the table.  If the product doesn’t work the same way when you try it at home, you now have someone beside the product maker to blame – that nice mom blogger up the street, who, by the way, was just expressing an opinion, not writing a product manual.  Check out NJ Mom Blogger Liz Thompson’s comments on the subject.

There’s something, no wait, there’s a lot that bothers me about the idea of mom bloggers like Liz having to hire legal counsel.  But things may not be as bad as they sound.  The proposed regulations are primarily aimed at curtailing pay-for-play posts – separating editorial and advertisement, as traditional media have historically done (though things do seem to be murkier every day with “advertorial” copy and product placement, not to mention celebrity endorsements).

The new regs would also hold brands liable, requiring brands to ensure information provided to bloggers is 100% accurate – and PR people don’t embellish the pitch beyond what the product truly delivers (not a bad thing, truth in advertising, truth in PR).  The bigger challenge for brands would be traversing the blogosphere to make sure information delivered is accurately translated, as reviews are posted.  No small task.  Perhaps an opportunity for social media monitoring services, such as Radian6 (which we use) and more advanced tools, such as Trucast.

One positive that could come from all of this is the demise of pay-for-play agencies that promise to deliver XX number of positive reviews in XX days.  They can guarantee the reviews because they’re buying them.  I’ve been surprised at the level of brands who have subscribed to these models.  Why not be transparent and just place real ads on blogs and at the same time earn the editorial and endorsements?

Some networks, like BlogHer, have put in place their own standards – requiring bloggers participating in their network to place advertising and editorial on different pages – and sometimes different blogs altogether (many bloggers have separate blogs for product reviews, though their readership is not always as strong as their main blog).  That policy is meeting with mixed reviews, as some bloggers say they don’t want third-party groups controlling their blog.

I’m headed to NewComm Forum to join Susan Getgood on a blogger relations panel Monday, where the FTC regs promise to be a hot topic.  Stay tuned for more here and keep an eye on Twitter #sncr for the discussion.

Filed under: Blogger Relations, Marketing to Moms by LauraTomasetti - 3 Comments →

Community and collaboration are key to growth, no matter what industry you’re in. In today’s digital age, we all have the ability to share knowledge, thoughts and opinions with others online. While the openness of the web can be seen by some as an obstacle when it comes to PR, the way I see it is that the collective knowledge of online communities is what helps us learn from one another and, ultimately, succeed.

So, to contribute to the super-sized round table we know as the web, here’s my quick two-cents of a few digital posts and stories from this week:

MediaPost "Forrester: Social Media Reaches Empowered Women" – Women are using the Internet more and more to help "manage their family life" as well as to ask others for product recommendations. I happen to be one of them! Just one of the key takeaways- social media campaigns, whether targeting women or not, are long term commitments. Definitely not a case of wham-bam-thank-you-mam.

B to B Magazine "When to Avoid Social Media" – The social media "revolution" has led some companies down the wrong path – i.e. "if competitor X or company Y is doing it, so should we!" This is a trap to keep your eyes out for and social media guru Paul Gillin has outlined some instances of when to avoid social media.

BrianSolis.com "Introducing MediaOnTwitter" – Social media execs Brian Solis, Sarah Evans, Peter Shankman, Melissa Hourigan and Ed Dunigan have launched a new collaborate site called MediaOnTwitter, which offers "a centralized, comprehensive, and global user-generated database for tracking media on Twitter." Check out the post for more details.

Have a great weekend!

Filed under: Digital PR, Marketing to Moms, Social Media by EliciaBasoli - No Comments →